Unresolved Issues Don't Need Resolving
by Eris-R-Renee
Summary: Set Season 3. Episode 10, Guy Walks into a Bar. AU: Quarles confronts Raylan in the bar. Everyone leaves, except Quarles isn't ready to kill Raylan yet. When Tim comes in acting as back-up for Raylan, he catches Quarles eye. Slash Raylan/Tim pre-existing relationship (Rated M for saftey)
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Justified…to bad.

Summary: Set Season 3. Episode 10, Guy Walks into a Bar. AU: Quarles confronts Raylan in the bar. Everyone leaves, except Quarles isn't ready to kill Raylan yet. When Tim comes in acting as back-up for Raylan, he catches Quarles eye. Slash Raylan/Tim pre-existing relationship

**"At least you got to shoot your father. Mine had the nerve to die before I got back from Basic with skills and a loaded weapon." –Tim Gutterson **

**AT THE BAR: **

Raylan and Quarles stand in front of each other, the gentle hum of the bar the only sound around them. Quarles grins, tucking his hands in his pockets.

"I'm gonna kill you Raylan. Maybe not tonight, maybe not tomorrow, but some day you'll be walking down the street and I'm gonna put a bullet right in the back of your skull and you're gonna drop."

Quarles turns to leave, Duffy a few steps ahead of him. They make it to the door before a gunshot rings through the bar. Raylan starts to lower his gun, fishing his badge out of his pocket.

"US Marshall. I want everyone outta the building, right now!"

Quarles laughs as the patrons rush out of the bar. When the last one leaves he turns to face Raylan fully. Duffy watches on warily. Quarles gives Raylan an inquisitive look, to which the brunette smirks.

"Why wait?"

Quarles takes a small step forward, interest causing the corner of his mouth to twitch. Duffy turns to face his boss, still keeping an eye on the Deputy.

"You've had your fun. Now let's go."

Duffy has his hand on the door, back fully turned. Quarles ignores his "advice" and walks towards Raylan a few more steps.

"I'm not going anywhere and neither are you. So how long do you think it'll take the cops to get here?"

Raylan shrugs, small smirk playing at his lips as if he were amused. Duffy moves away from the door, nervously shoving his hands in his pockets.

"They may not even come. I showed 'em my badge."

Duffy stands silently behind Quarles, watching with slight apprehension as the Marshal and his boss stare each other down. He knew Quarles was unraveling, he could see it in the tense set of his shoulders. After the trigger-happy teen had burst into their trailer earlier that evening and Quarles had told him and the kid, in a vague way, what his father had done to him...well, Duffy was nervous to be anywhere near the man. The bar was empty and if things continued to escalate this quickly, Duffy was leaving with or without his boss. The man would be dead anyway; no-one beat Deputy Marshal Raylan Givens in a gun fight. Then the door opened behind Quarles and Duffy. Quarles didn't turn until Duffy let out a sharp hiss as the cold barrel of a gun pressed to the back of his neck.

"Jee Raylan, can't even have a night off at your own bar."

"Your late, Tim."

"I'd say I'm right on time."

Quarles turned to look at the man, Tim, whose gun was now pressed to his lackey's throat. His face was smooth, young and very handsome. It was all high cheekbones and angular jaw. Quarles blinked slowly, thinking of the pale comparison of a teen that was locked in his hotel room. He turned completely away from Raylan and walked toward the door, pausing by Duffy's side. He looked at Tim, offering him a wide grin. Then he opened the door, calling for Duffy over his shoulder as he left the room.

Tim removed the barrel from the man's neck, using his gun to gesture to the door. Duffy walked out, the door slamming shut behind him. Tim turned to Raylan, raising a brow at the hole in the ceiling.

"I hope you're gonna take care of that."

"Nothing a rug won't fix."

Tim smirked, tucking his gun into its holster and walking towards Raylan. The taller man wrapped an arm around his waist, pulling him flush against his body. Raylan lowered his head, capturing the sniper's mouth in a searing kiss, tongues wrapping around each other in their intensity. When they finally pulled away, Tim had moved one hand to slip into Raylan's jean pocket, thumb rubbing small circles onto his denim-clad ass. Raylan gave the man a gentle smile.

"Looks like I have the night off. Wanna go rug shopping?"

Tim grinned, leaning close so his breath ghosted over Raylan's lips.

"I don't think so."

Before Raylan could tighten his grip, the brunette had twisted out of his arms and was sprinting up the stairs to the elder's flat. Raylan chuckled, removing his gun and badge as he followed his lover up the stairs. The rug could wait until tomorrow.

**THE NEXT MORNING:**

Tim woke slowly, burrowing into the warmth behind him. He lay in the comfortable embrace for over ten minutes, eventually removing himself from the reassuring cocoon of his lover's arms. It was only 6AM, too early for Raylan to even think of getting up. They didn't have to be in to the office until noon today. That gave Tim time to go on a run and hop in the shower before waking Raylan for breakfast and maybe another shower, if the older Marshall was up to it.

Tim snickered as he laced his running shoes, knowing Raylan would be offended if he had threatened the man's libido aloud. Of course, the only time Tim had mentioned it led to a weekend's worth of amazing, mind-blowing sex. On the other hand, maybe Tim would mention it this weekend. The brunette carefully covered Raylan with the blanket they'd kicked to the floor the night before; he would get cold now that he wasn't sharing Tim's body heat.

The brunette quietly left the flat, jogging down the stairs and leaving using the back door. He set off at a light jog, breathing deeply as the icy air filled his lungs. Tim lost himself to the sensations of running, falling into a trance in which the only sound was the steady thrum of his shoes hitting the pavement. The sun was just peeking over the horizon as he turned to head back to Raylan's; images of a nice breakfast with his lover making him speed up slightly.

He was pulled back to reality when a sharp pain knocked him over. Tim blinked rapidly, looking up from his position on the ground at the headlights of a black Sudan. _Did I just get hit by a car?_ Tim reached with one hand to rub his forehead, wincing when he pulled his hand away sticky and coated in blood. The driver of the car jumped out of the vehicle, steady footsteps approaching him quickly.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine tha-"

Tim looked to the driver, surprise and suspicion curling in his stomach. He thought he had recognized the voice. Quarles was looking down at him; hand on his shoulder as though he were swaying. There was a sharp pain and then..._why is everything blurry?_ Tim stared up at the blonde man, trying to speak and finding he couldn't. His body felt entirely too heavy and the only thing that kept him from collapsing onto the pavement was Quarles gently scooping him up in his arms and carrying him to his car. _I'm going to ride in the car that hit me. Huh, ironic. _Tim groaned as his head lolled, resting on the cool glass of the passenger window.

"Don't worry. The effects should wear off in a few hours. For now…sleep."

Tim, despite his best intentions, quickly faded into the darkness, his body feeling numb and nonexistent as he dived into unconsciousness.

**WHEN TIM WAKES UP:**

Tim groaned as he woke, a headache steadily pounding behind his eyes. He was aware enough to realize he was wearing only his boxers and Raylan's wife-beater, which he had on under his running hoodie. Everything seemed sluggish and Tim winced as he forced himself to become more aware, to work through the headache and the cold and the general haziness that seemed to surround him. When he did, he instantly regretted it.

It was much colder now that he was aware. His whole body ached and Tim shifted, realizing that he may have broken a rib when the car hit him as his breath was stolen from him. He was obviously in a bathroom, a nice one. The shower he was in was one of the walk-in types, spacious and very clean. Tim's wrists were tied to the washcloth rack, tightly bound by zip-ties. They were already digging into his skin. The door to the bathroom opened and Tim looked toward the shower door.

He could see the outline of a man, whom he assumed was Quarles. His assumption proved true as the door to the shower opened to reveal one ignorant asshole. Tim narrowed his eyes, ignoring the increasing headache squinting caused him. Quarles was wearing his dress slacks and an unbuttoned white dress shirt. He was shoeless and looked rumpled, as though he had just rolled out of bed. The man smiled, his blue eyes sharp and piercing.

"I'm glad to see you awake. I was worried I gave you too much."

"To much of what?"

The blonde chuckled, waggling his finger as he moved into the shower.

"Ah-ah. That's for me to know."

The man kneeled beside Tim, watching him silently for a moment before running a hand through his hair. Tim tried to scoot farther away but was forced to stop at the sharp pain his ribs caused him. Quarles seemed to ignore both the movement and the wince, merely staring at Tim. The man reached out, trailing his finger over Tim's top lip. He gave a sharp yelp when Tim managed to bite down on the obtrusive finger, drawing blood. Quarles pulled a tie out of his pocket and quickly gagged the blue-eyed Marshall. Then he wrapped his finger in the corner of his shirt, watching Tim as he waited for the bleeding to stop. He opened his mouth and Tim almost rolled his eyes; he could almost smell the monologue that was about to come.

"I usually go for early twenties. They're more lost than the older ones; the ones that had time to shove it into the back of their heads and forget about it. But you…I'll make an exception. You're just as lost as I was…I can set you free."

Tim twisted his head away from Quarles hand, remaining silent behind the gag. The blonde frowned, reaching out quickly and grasping Tim's chin, tightening his grip and twisting the Marshall's head so he could see the dark blue eyes glaring up at him. Quarles used his free hand to gently run through Tim's hair, pushing it out of his face.

"I can't save you unless you let me."

Tim's eyes narrowed but he didn't try to move his head; his jaw was already aching from the tight grip of the man in front of him. The blonde hummed under his breath and moved away from the man on the floor. He stared down at the Marshall quietly, thinking to himself.

"I think…all you need…is to remember why you need saving."

Quarles grinned, squatting down in front of Tim, his feet on either side of the brunette's thighs.

"You've locked him up real tight, your father…all we need to do is let him out. Then…"

Gentle fingers ran down the side of Tim's face, stroking his cheek.

"…then I can save you."

**WITH RAYLAN:**

It hadn't taken Raylan long to realize something was wrong. He and Tim had been going strong for almost a year now and for nine of those months Tim had spent the night at his place or he at Tim's. And every morning, rain or shine, Tim would go on a run around 6AM and be back by 7AM. Raylan knew he got back at 7 because he always woke Raylan up freshly showered and with a cup of coffee. So when Tim is still gone at 8:30AM, Raylan feels like it's reasonable for him to worry a bit more than he was when he woke up on his own.

After finding Tim's running shoes gone and his gun, badge, and phone still on their bedside table, Raylan dresses hurriedly. Even though he and Tim weren't due at the office until noon (Another reason Raylan knows something is wrong; Tim loved having a frisk in the shower before work.) Raylan was in Art's office by 9:30AM. Rachel is at her desk but when the older man rushes past without a hello and without Tim trailing behind him, the woman is up and in Art's office in less than a minute.

Art agrees the behavior is odd, extremely odd. Still, he makes Raylan wait until noon to start _officially_ searching. Rachel says she's making a coffee run and _Art, I'm taking Raylan so he'll actually pay this time._ Within an hour the two deputies are walking Tim's running path. At this point, Raylan is glad for the man's predictability and the one time he managed to drag Raylan on a run with him. They find nothing. Rachel's gone to get the car and Raylan is sitting on a bench, staring at the road dejectedly.

"Excuse me, sir?"

Raylan raises his head to see a cute little blonde standing in front of him, wearing a jogging suit.

"Can I help you miss?"

The blonde runs her tongue over her lips, shifting her weight from one leg to the other nervously.

"I was just wondering if you were checking up on the accident this morning. You are a cop, right?"

Raylan straightened in his seat, brow furrowing as he pulled out his badge, flipping it open for the girl to see as he stood.

"US Deputy Marshall Raylan Givens. What accident, ma'am?"

"Call me Sherry. Um, there was an accident around 6:50 this morning…I saw it as I was starting my run."

"Where?"

"Um, just around that corner. A man was running across the crosswalk and this car came out of nowhere and hit him dead on!"

Raylan tipped his hat backward, using his thumb to scratch at his forehead before settling his hat comfortably on his head. The girl, _Sherry_, bite her lip.

"I, um, I offered the driver help, said I'd call 911. But the man said it was fine and put the runner in his car, said he was going to drive him to the hospital, least he could do and all."

"Can you describe the runner?"

"Well, his face was really bloody but he was wearing this dark green hoodie, had Army stamped across it in white block letters. He had like, brown hair? But it was kind of on the fair side."

_Definitely Tim._ Raylan had never been so happy that Tim wore the same hoodie for every run.

"How 'bout the driver? And the car? Can you tell me anything about them?"

"Sure. The car was a black Sudan. I didn't see the plates or anything."

She seemed really upset, so Raylan gave her the best reassuring smile he could manage.

"It's alright. How 'bout the driver?"

"Oh, he was wearing this really nice suit and had blond hair that was kinda white…bluest eyes I've ever seen. He reminded me of an albino, to be honest."

Sherry blushed, scratching the back of her head.

"Usually I wouldn't say that, my mama raised me to be respectful."

"It's alright. I'm sure your mama would be proud of you helping me out on my case."

Sherry frowned.

"So the guy isn't okay? I mean, did he make it to the hospital?"

Raylan shook his head, beginning to walk towards Rachel, who had just pulled up.

"Thank you for your help Miss. Sherry!"

"I live in house 5479, if you need to contact me!"

Raylan tipped his hat to the blond and climbed in the car. He ran a hand over his face and turned to Rachel. The woman raised a brow.

"Well?"

"Quarles has Tim."

Rachel blinked.

"Shit."

**END OF CHAPTER:**

**What do you think so far? I can't do accents worth shit, sorry about that. **

**Review please?**

**Eris-R-Renee**


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Justified…to bad.

Summary: Set Season 3. Episode 10, Guy Walks into a Bar. AU: Quarles confronts Raylan in the bar. Everyone leaves, except Quarles isn't ready to kill Raylan yet. When Tim comes in acting as back-up for Raylan, he catches Quarles eye. Slash Raylan/Tim pre-existing relationship

**"At least you got to shoot your father. Mine had the nerve to die before I got back from Basic with skills and a loaded weapon." –Tim Gutterson **

**WITH TIM:**

Tim knows he has issues. At the top of the list is the slight PTSD from his time in Afghanistan. Second on the list was his inability to express himself emotionally. That was okay, for the most part, as Raylan had the same problem. Most of the feelings they shared were unspoken, shared through soft kisses and silent reassurances after nightmares. Tim thinks that the reason he and Raylan get along so well is that they understand there are some things they just can't say.

Tim's third problem is that he's in love with Raylan Givens and doesn't know how to tell him. The ex-Ranger just knows he wants to spend the rest of his life with Raylan. He knows that his lover doesn't do commitment very well. He understands; neither does he. Or at least, he didn't before Raylan. He knows the Deputy cares for him; can hear it in the soft drawl of _darling _late at night and the way he brings back coffee just the right way when Tim's pulled an all-nighter at the office. That's how problem two and three are linked. Tim loves Raylan but how does he tell him?

Tim's fourth problem is his unresolved trust issues. These were brought on by problem five and six; his first boyfriend and his father respectively. The boyfriend isn't an issue anymore, not with Raylan showing him what a true relationship is. Well, as healthy of a relationship two Marshalls can have. What with the constant shooting and stupid stunts and all that jazz.

Tim lists his problems in order of how much time he's willing to put into fixing said issue and how long he's been trying to fix said issue. That's the only reason problem number three isn't problem number one; he's only figured it out a few weeks earlier. Problem six has stuck around since he was a kid and hasn't left yet. Most of the time Tim just ignores the memories of his father.

Tim's issue right now is this; Quarles is holding him prisoner, in a bathtub, and beating him senseless to apparently get Tim to remember his hatred of his father so Quarles can "save him". Tim thinks he knows what happened to the Brady kid Raylan was asking about. Quarles obviously has his own unsolved daddy issues. The Marshall doesn't know what scares him more; the fact Raylan has no way to know where he is or that Quarles seems to enjoy touching him way to much.

There is one thing Tim actually respects his father for; his old man never touched Tim in the way Quarles' father seems to have touched him. Tim hates his father and wishes he had the chance to off him but he thinks he may hate Quarles' old man more. Tim dislikes the thought, but he pities the man currently laying into him with fists, kicks, and a belt. Tim knows this could be worse; he could be dead. Or dying. Or tied to a bed on his stomach, legs stretched open and completely bare of any clothing. So yes, it could be worse and yes, Tim is currently thanking his father for beating him senseless because it made him tough.

Quarles seems to have run out of juice. He drops the belt in his hand and falls to his knees in front of Tim. He's long since removed the zip-ties holding Tim's wrists to the bar. Now the ties are holding Tim's wrists behind his back. It stretches his shoulder painfully and the angle is uncomfortable to lie on. Quarles rolls Tim onto his stomach and the man freezes, breathing through his nose shallowly. He wishes he could open his mouth and spit out the blood-soaked tie.

"You're remembering…good. Your father did this to you, hurt you this way. Don't worry."

Quarles straddles Tim and the man stiffens further, any trace of pity for the businessman disappearing. The blonde leans forward, tongue running a thin strip from Tim's shoulder to his ear. Warm breath brushed over his cheek and he resists the urge to shudder.

"I'll save you; you'll be free."

Quarles kisses Tim's cheek and begins to roll him over when there's a knock on his door. The man sighs and stands, leaving Tim on his stomach. Vaguely the Marshall can hear the door open and Quarles usher someone in. He strains to hear any of the conversation.

"…called you…something's wrong…"

"…pay you….fix it!"

"…only talk….you're the boss…"

There's quite for a moment and then the bathroom door opens. Tim twists his head to see Quarles changing his suit. The man catches his eye in the mirror and smiles reassuringly as he fixes his tie and hair.

"Don't worry Tim. I'll be back in a few hours. Meanwhile, I'm leaving you a babysitter."

Tim stiffens as Quarles leans down to kiss him again, licking at some of the blood that's coating the outside of Tim's mouth. He hums contentedly before standing and leaving the room. He can hear Quarles order the "babysitter" to feed him before the room slams shut. For the next thirty minutes Tim attempts to block out the pain ratcheting through his body with thoughts of Raylan and shooting Quarles in the kneecaps. The door to the bathroom opens and Tim rolls his eyes when he sees who steps through. None other than Duffy.

"Gutterson?"

Tim manages a sarcastic grunt. Duffy seems genuinely surprised and he is; he knew his boss was…psycho to say the least. He had believed it was only young teens. To kidnap a Marshall! Duffy moved backwards, ignoring Tim's indignant moans. Duffy tosses the bowl in the trash; he won't be part of this any longer. Tim watches as the man leaves the room, groaning as the door shuts and locks behind him. _Fucking fantastic._

**WITH RAYLAN:**

Raylan is so close to having a breakdown that Art forces him to go ride the elevator for a break. The elevator! None the less, Raylan leaves the hectic office, trying not to look at Tim's empty desk. It's close to 7PM. Not even a day of Tim missing and Raylan was going crazy. He couldn't think of anything other than finding Tim. When he found Tim, he planned on keeping him locked in his apartment for at least a week. No way was his lover getting taken from him again. Raylan moved to press the button for the elevator, slightly startled when the doors slide open before his finger made contact. What truly shocked him was the man who stood in the elevator.

"Wynn Duffy. What are you doin' on this side of the law?"

Duffy ignored his question, gesturing for Raylan to join him in the elevator. The Marshall raised a brow but obliged. The doors had barley shut when Duffy pressed the emergence shut down. Raylan sighed, shifting so he was leaning against the wall watching the well-dressed man.

"Why are you here Duffy?"

"Look, I want a deal."

"A deal? For what?"

Duffy ran a hand through his hair. A feeling of unease began to grow in Raylan's stomach, coiling uncomfortably.

"Duffy…a deal for _what_?"

"I tell you where your missing Marshall is and you leave me out of any future business you have with Quarles."

Raylan shoved his hands in his pockets, trying to restrain himself from shoving Duffy into a wall and beating Tim's location out of him.

"Where. Is. Tim?"

"A hotel about thirty minutes from here."

Raylan punched the shut down button, pressing his floor and waiting for the door to open. When it does, Raylan practically launches himself out of the elevator.

"Givens!"

Raylan turns in time to catch the keys Duffy throws to him. _Room 87_; the hotel room keys. Raylan rushes into the office. He's not going to risk Tim's health by bursting in without backup. Time to talk to Art.

**WITH RAYLAN AT THE HOTEL:**

Raylan had gotten a bolo on Quarles car and found out he was heading back from Harlan. There were officers stationed around the parking lot to catch Quarles once he got into the lot and was out of his car. Raylan and Rachel were headed up to the motel room, a team of paramedics a few minutes behind them. Rachel unlocked the door and pushed it open. The two cautiously entered the room, guns drawn.

"Clear."

Raylan moves to the bathroom, nudging it open with his foot. He can hear muffled grunts and moves in quickly, barley pausing as he strides to Tim. He kneels beside his lover in the bathroom, calling for Rachel to grab a blanket or something to cover Tim's shivering body. Raylan grabs his pocket knife, flicking it open and cutting the tie that's gagging Tim.

"Tim, darling."

The blue-eyed man spits out blood, trying to speak and only managing a raspy exhale. Rachel, who has just given Raylan a blanket, moves to grab some water for her friend. Raylan wraps the blanket around Tim, helping him into a sitting position and wincing when the man groans painfully. His eyes are clenched shut and he actually whimpers, breath coming in shallow gasps.

"Shh, it's alright darlin'. Easy breathes."

Raylan quickly cuts the zip-ties from around Tim's wrists, boiling in anger when he sees the weeping cuts. He helps Tim take small sips of the water Rachel fetched. She leaves them with a soft hand to Raylan's shoulder, leaving the bathroom door slightly open.

"R-ray."

"Hey Tim."

Raylan manages a smile, glad to hear his love's voice.

"You don't look so good, sweetheart."

"Don't f-feel it."

His voice is raspy and low so Raylan helps him take a few more sips of the water. Tim eventually pushes the water away, though he keeps his hand around Raylan's wrist. The elder man moves so he's sitting beside Tim and threads their fingers together, kissing Tim's head lovingly.

"Ray…"

"Shh, darlin'. There's plenty of time to talk later."

Tim nodded, setting his head on Raylan's shoulder. When the medics get there, Tim is deeply asleep but still refuses to let go of Raylan's hand.

**IN THE HOSPITAL: **

Tim wakes suddenly, eyes snapping open and hand moving under his pillow for the gun that is always there. He's slow to realize it isn't his pillow and he isn't at home. When he sees Raylan sitting in an uncomfortable chair besides his hospital bed, he begins to remember what happened. Everything clicks into place pretty quickly after that. Raylan's hat is covering his eyes and Tim can see why; the sun is shining uncomfortably bright through the window.

"Goddamn sun."

Raylan stirs, reaching with one hand to remove his hat and using the other to search the bed for Tim's hand as he wakes. Tim carefully slips his fingers into Raylan's, giving the man's hand a gentle squeeze. By now Raylan has woken completely. His hat is thrown on his chair as he moves to sit on the edge of the bed next to Tim.

"Hiya darlin'. Glad to see you finally awake."

Tim smiles softly, lifting his head and meeting Raylan halfway so they could kiss gently. The effort seems to exhaust the younger man and he falls back into his pillows. Raylan scoots closer, running a hand through Tim's locks, gentle smile on his lips.

"How ya feeling?"

"Like I got run over by a bus."

"It was a Sudan, actually."

They share a grin, Raylan chucking lightly. It only takes a few minutes for Raylan to get serious, brow crinkling.

"You took quite a beating."

"From the car or Quarles?"

Raylan palmed his forehead, rubbing comforting circles onto the back of Tim's hand.

"The car cracked two of your ribs and gave you a slight concussion. Apparently you also had traces of opium in your blood. 'Course your all bruised 'n bloodied from Quarles. Doc says you'll be fine in a few weeks."

Tim tugged Raylan closer, resting his head on the Marshall's shoulder. Raylan smiled softly, reaching with one hand to card through Tim's hair as they basked in the companionable silence. Within an hour Art showed up, Rachel in tow. They brought coffee (honest to god, good coffee) and news that Quarles had been found and was currently in custody under the charge of kidnapping and assaulting a federal officer. Raylan felt a momentary twinge of anger knowing he wouldn't get to kill the asshole. Tim's soft chuckle at Rachel's glorified version of hauling the bastard in erased the feeling.

He was just glad Tim was safe and relatively unharmed. He knew that for awhile Tim would get nightmares more frequently than he had been; that was okay. Raylan would try his damndest to make his lover alright. Visiting hours ended too soon for the team. Rachel and Art said their goodbyes and left, though Art told Raylan both he and Tim weren't expected at the office for at least a week. Raylan eased into his chair by the bed, watching the nurses flirt around Tim and get him settled for the night. Once they had left, Raylan settled himself next to Tim on the bed, arm wrapped around his lover's shoulders. They snuggled comfortably, an easy silence coating the room.

"Raylan…"

"Hm?"

"I wanna go home."

Raylan leaned down, kissing Tim's brow lovingly. With gentle fingers he traced the bruising pattern around Tim's wrists.

"In the mornin'."

"Hmmm, 'kay."

Within minutes Tim was deep asleep. Raylan only smiled; anything for his lover. He'd talk to the doctor's in the morning. For now, he'd just enjoy being in the same bed as Tim, curled together in the familiar, warm embrace.

**END OF CHAPTER:**

**How was it? Did you enjoy the bit of fluff at the end? Anyway, one chapter left!**

**Review please?**

**Eris-R-Renee**


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own Justified…to bad.

Summary: Set Season 3. Episode 10, Guy Walks into a Bar. AU: Quarles confronts Raylan in the bar. Everyone leaves, except Quarles isn't ready to kill Raylan yet. When Tim comes in acting as back-up for Raylan, he catches Quarles eye. Slash Raylan/Tim pre-existing relationship

**"At least you got to shoot your father. Mine had the nerve to die before I got back from Basic with skills and a loaded weapon." –Tim Gutterson **

**AT TIM'S PLACE/3 DAYS OUT OF THE HOSPITAL:**

There wasn't much Raylan refused to face head on. Even the things he didn't want to face, such as Arlo or Winona's continuous betrayal, were quickly resolved. Sure, they left him tired, angry, and down-right unpleasant for a few days afterwards. Yet Raylan liked to believe it was the lesser of the two evils. Right now, there was something he was going out of his way to avoid. Not for his sake, but for the sake of the other party involved; Tim.

It had only been three days since Tim had gotten out of the hospital. The first few days Raylan could trick himself into thinking that he was waiting for Tim to settle; that wasn't the truth anymore. He knew that if Tim wanted to get a clear bill of health from both the doctors' and Art, he'd have to talk about what had happened in the hotel room. Raylan knew it would be tough for the younger man, not because Tim was weak-willed or anything as ridiculous as such (no, Raylan was pretty damned sure Tim was the strongest man he knew) but because of the feelings and memories that would accompany the retelling.

The nightmares hadn't been that bad so far, though that could have been because the narcotics Raylan was keeping Tim pumped full of knocked him out quick and kept him there. It was no secret to Raylan that Tim had his own daddy-issues, just as he had his. The Marshall knew he was lucky compared to his lover; Arlo had only managed to hit him twice before Aunt Helen put a stop to it. Now wasn't really the time to analyze his relationship with Arlo; now was the time to talk to Tim.

It was a great time to bring it up. They had just gotten out of a bubble bath, during which Raylan had given Tim a gentle neck massage that had eventually expanded to include the shoulders and upper chest. The blue-eyed man had practically melted into Raylan's chest, gently groaning in pleasure of his muscles loosening up. Now Tim was sprawled across his bed, enjoying the extra pillows Raylan brought over from his place.

"Tim."

"Hmmm?"

Raylan rolled his eyes with fond amusement as the brunette wrapped his hand loosely around the Marshall's wrist and pulled him onto the bed. Raylan went along with it, gently wrapping an arm around Tim's shoulders and allowing the younger man to burrow his face in his neck. His warm breath fanned across Raylan's pulse point in an achingly familiar way. For a few minutes they laid there, content in the familiarity of being in each other's arms. Raylan hated to break the mood but he'd been putting it off to long.

"Tim, we needa talk."

"'Bout what?"

Raylan allowed his fingers to gently run up and down Tim's shoulder and bicep, enjoying the cool skin beneath his warm fingertips. Tim grabbed his free hand, lacing their fingers together to rest on Raylan's stomach.

"Ray?"

"Art ain't gonna let you back unless you talk to me about it."

Tim turned his face further into Raylan's neck, huffing in exasperation. Raylan could understand that reaction; he knew how his lover usually took care of issues. He either resolved them silently or shoved them into the back of his mind to solve on another day or just forget about. Personally, Raylan was all for doing whatever worked. Art didn't; neither did the doctors.

"I don't really wanna talk about it."

"I know you don't. And I respect that."

Raylan paused, re-considering his neck words. He shrugged and threw them out anyway.

"Art doesn't."

He got a huff of laughter in response. He couldn't keep the smile from tugging at the corner of his lips.

"Glad you think this is funny, darlin'."

"I'm going to tell Art what you said."

"No, you're not."

"Mh-hm. Whatever makes you feel better."

Raylan rolled his eyes. They had gotten seriously off track.

"Tim."

"I know Raylan…"

There was a moment of silence. Then Tim was lifting his head, looking at Raylan's face with a slight devious smile. Raylan resisted the urge to sigh; he should have known his boyfriend would try to bargain.

"Raylan, if I tell you about it can we have sex?"

"No."

Tim pouted, his bottom lip glistening from where he had licked moments before. Raylan ran his tongue over his own lips; it was hard to resist Tim's pouty face. Seriously, how the man managed to look adorable and sexy at the same time was beyond him.

"I don't wanna risk your ribs."

"My ribs will be fine if you're gentle."

Raylan pursed his lips and watched as Tim began to place open mouth kisses on his naked chest, eyes peeking up at Raylan through his eyelashes.

"Fine but if you start to hurt I have the right to stop."

"Deal."

There were a few seconds of silence and then Raylan quirked a brow.

"Well? Can't have sex 'till you talk."

Tim laid his head on Raylan's chest, pressing his cheek against his chest as he began to breathe in tandem with the older man.

"I just…he…I don't know what to tell you."

"Start with what you remember before the hotel."

Raylan began to run his fingers through Tim's hair, a smooth, comforting motion to the both of them.

"I was on my morning run, thinkin' about getting back so we could have a go in the shower. Then out of no-where a car hit me. I was really loopy for a few seconds and my head hurt…other then that I was fine. I actually was gonna just head back and have you take a look at my head…"

Raylan leaned down and brushed his lips across the slight wound peeking out of Tim's hairline, causing the younger man to smile.

"Anyway, that was about the time I noticed it was Quarles. He put his hand on my shoulder and I'm guessing that's when he dosed me with the opium. Quarles managed to get me into the car and I remember thinking, I'm gonna ride in the car that hit me. After than everything was kinda fuzzy until I woke up in the shower."

Raylan couldn't help but chuckle.

"'Course you would find that ironic."

"You don't?"

"Course I do."

Tim grinned, flashing his white teeth.

"Hypocrite."

"Only when I can get away with it."

Raylan stole a kiss, then gently nudged Tim's shoulder to get him to continue. When the man didn't, Raylan sighed softly and leaned down to nose his hair.

"Tell me what happened when you woke up."

"Then sex?"

"Then sex."

Raylan knew that, although Tim did really want to have sex, he was just using it to stale for time at the moment. The native born-Harlan couldn't say he blamed him.

"I was really cold and pretty much naked, which was unnerving. Everything was still kinda fuzzy 'round the edges. I laid around, tied up, for about a half hour. Then Quarles came in and tried to feel my face; so I bit him."

Tim sounded smug and Raylan couldn't help but smirk. Damn, he knew he'd picked one hell of a keeper.

"Then he gagged me and started ranting about how he could "save me" and all I needed to do was remember. He kept goin' on about making me remember my father and then he could set me free."

Tim burrowed deeper into Raylan's side, fingers tracing patterns of nothingness onto the fine skin covering his abs. Raylan let him, still carding his fingers through the soft brunette locks.

"Then he pretty much laid into me. By the time he was finished, he tried to convince me that it had been my father who'd beat me…then there was a knock at the door and he went to answer. It turned out to be Duffy, I saw him when he came in to give me food. Then I was alone until you and Rachel showed up."

Raylan knew Tim was leaving something out but he wasn't too worried. Tim didn't have to tell him anything, let alone everything as far as he was concerned. He knew eventually Tim would tell him what had happened and he was perfectly content to wait for that moment to come. He leaned down to press a gentle kiss to the younger man's brow.

"See? That wasn't so hard."

"Hmmm."

Despite Tim's insistence of sex, the two remained curled together comfortably. There would be time for making love later, once Tim had rested more and Raylan had gone to grab more clothes from his apartment. Raylan slipped out of the bed, carefully covering Tim with his comforter. The young man shifted closer to the space Raylan had previously lay and sighed contentedly. With a fond smile, Raylan leaned down and gave Tim a soft kiss.

"Love you, Tim."

"Hm, love you too Ray."

Yeah, Raylan thought, there'd be time later. The rest of their lives.

**END OF STORY:**

**So this is my first Justified story…how was it? I really love Tim's character, I think it has so much potential. Anyway, I hope this didn't totally suck. I kinda screwed up with the ending buttt I tried! I really wanted to end with sex but I don't know, I just don't think this story had that tone. Maybe I'll crank out a one-shot. Hope it was at least somewhat worth the read. **

**Review please?**

**Eris-R-Renee**


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